O.M.D. – Tesla Girls (US 12″ Promo)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1984

“Tesla Girls” is a song by British band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark released as the third single from their 1984 album, Junk Culture. It charted at #21 in the UK and Ireland, and #33 in the Netherlands. Although only moderately successful on the charts, it became one of the group’s biggest club hits.

Musician and writer Kim Wilde slammed “Tesla Girls” on release, calling it “inane and monotonous”. Critic Dave Thompson, in a retrospective review for AllMusic described the song as “electrifying”, adding: “The clever lyrics are almost as smart as the music pounding across this song. Cutting-edge scratch production drives the sound, slamming beats fuel the fire, and an irrepressible melody and ‘no, no, no’ chorus all conspire to turn ‘Tesla Girls’ anthemic, while the soaring synths set the blood pumping…a quintessential dance number.” Colleague Ned Raggett wrote: “‘Tesla Girls’ is easily the group’s high point when it comes to sheer sprightly pop…witty lines about science and romance [are] wedded to a great melody (prefaced by a brilliant, hyperactive intro).”

The single performed more poorly than expected mainly due to a lack of media coverage. Controversy surrounded the song’s video, which some in the media had slammed as ‘sexist’. In fact, the video, which was largely Andy McCluskey’s idea, was lampooning the style of American music videos the band was pressured into making by Virgin Records in the hope of breaking into the U.S. market. He believed that American music videos relied heavily on attractive young female models posing and preening in front of the camera. While few got the joke, a furor did develop. It was the last time Virgin Records interfered with the style of videos of the band’s singles.

The song featured in the 1985 film Weird Science.

SIDE A:
Tesla Girls (Specially Remixed Version) 5:03

SIDE B:
Tesla Girls (Instrumental Version) 4:43
Tesla Girls (Video Version) 3:26

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: A&M Records ‎– SP-12120
Format: Vinyl, 12″, Promo, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1984
Genre: Electronic
Style: Synth-pop
Credits: Design – P/S/A*
Photography By – Trevor Key
Producer – Brian Tench, O.M.D.*
Written-By – O.M.D.*

NOTES:
Promotion Copy – Not For Sale
Original version appears on the A&M album “JUNK CULTURE”

Band name printed as ‘O.M.D.’ on the front cover and ‘Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark’ on the spine and labels.

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

EQUIPMENT USED:
Turntable: Pro-Ject Debut III
Cartridge: Ortofon Super
Stylus: Ortofon OM Stylus 30
Platter: Pro-Ject Acryl-It platter
Speed Control: Pro-Ject Speed Box S
Phono Pre-amp: Bellari VP130 Tube Phono Preamp
Tube: Tung-Sol 12AX7ECC803-S Gold Electron Tube
Soundcard: ESI Juli@
Record Cleaning: VPI HW 16.5 Record Cleaning Machine
Artwork Scans: Brother MFC-6490CW Professional Series Scanner

SOFTWARE USED:
Recording/Editing: Adobe Audition 3.0 (Recording)
Down Sampling: iZotope RX Advanced 2
Artwork Editor: Adobe Photoshop CS5
Click Removeal: ClickRepair (DeClick Level 3)
FLAC/MP3 Conversion: dBpoweramp
M3U Playlist: Playlist Creator

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

April 22, 2014

Combo Audio – Romanticide (US 7″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1982

Combo Audio was a new wave group from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois best known for their song Romanticide.

Romanticide was released as a single for Secret Records in 1982 and as part of the Combo Audio EP. Two videos for the song were made. The first was played on the RockAmerica cable music subscription service the second went into “power rotation” on MTV in early 1983 following the EP release. The song was the “top single” in Billboard and regular support and airplay followed in New York, Boston, Chicago, St. Louis and Los Angeles.

The version that appears here is a different mix than what appears on the “Combo Audio” mini album and “Living In Oblivion” Volume 1 CD. The b-side “It’s A Crime” is a non album track.

SIDE A:
Romanticide (7″ Mix) 3:37
Bass – Tom Broeske
Synthesizer [Additional] – Dana Walden

SIDE B:
It’s A Crime 2:33

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: Secret Records (4) ?– CA-10051
Format: Vinyl, 7″, 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1982
Genre: Electronic
Style: New Wave, Synth-pop
Credits: Co-producer [Associate Producer] – Richard Denhart
Design – Steven Larson (2)
Producer – Combo Audio, Dana Walden

NOTES:
Special version from the mini LP “COMBO AUDIO”

Find The 7″ On DISCOGS

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

April 18, 2014

Olivia Newton-John – Deeper Than The Night (Netherlands 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1978

DISCO FRIDAY!

Re-Rip Newly Remastered!

Originally I posted this one on April 23, 2010. But for those who may have missed it or if you are a new reader just discovering BTG. I decided to give this one a new rip with my newer Ortofon Super 30 stylus. This 12″ is also being posted in 24 bit flac for the very first time!

“Deeper Than The Night” was second single released from English-born Australian pop singer Olivia Newton-John’s ninth US and tenth international studio album. Released in November 1978. “Deeper Than The Night” did well on the US charts peaking at at #11 Pop, #4 AC and #87 Country. Internationally “Deeper Than The Night” peaked at #64 UK, #18 Canada and #7 in Australia in April 1979.

The single was released on several formats including a 7″ picture disc as well as a 12″ Disco single released in Europe extending the track to 4:55. The b-side is the epic album track “Please Don’t Keep Me Waiting”.

Now let Olivia take you “Deeper Than The Night”.

SIDE A:
Deeper Than The Night (Extended Version) 4:56

SIDE B:
Please Don’t Keep Me Waiting 5:48

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Cover: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1979	Deeper Than The Night	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#11
1979	Deeper Than The Night	U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks	#4
1979	Deeper Than The Night	U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles	#87

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: EMI ‎– 5C K052Z-62814
Format: Vinyl, 12″
Country: Netherlands
Released: 1978
Genre: Pop, Rock
Style: Pop Rock, Disco
Credits: Producer – John Farrar
Written-By – Joe Falsia (tracks: B) , Johnny Vastano (tracks: A) , Stephen Sinclair (tracks: B) , Tom Snow (tracks: A)

NOTES:
Both tracks taken from the album “TOTALLY HOT”
Recorded at Indigo Ranch – Malibu
Mixed using the Aphex Aural Exciter

Find the 12″ on DISCOGS

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi

April 17, 2014

Diana Ross – Pieces Of Ice (US 12″)

BURNING THE GROUND EXCLUSIVE 1983

“Pieces of Ice” is a song written by Marc Jordan and John Capek and recorded by Diana Ross on the RCA label. It was released as a single in 1983.

The first release off the singer’s self-titled Ross album, it was the only simultaneous top forty single the singer scored on this album, which was one of her rare misses on the RCA label in the early-1980s.

The song reached number 31 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (#15 R&B) and #46 in the UK. It charted best in Norway, where it reached #8.

SIDE A:
Pieces Of Ice (Remixed Version) 7:16

SIDE B:
Pieces Of Ice (Instrumental Version) 7:16

VINYL GRADE:
Vinyl: Near Mint
Sleeve: Near Mint

U.S. CHART HISTORY:

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1983	Pieces Of Ice	U.S. Billboard Hot 100	#31
1983	Pieces Of Ice	U.S. Billboard Hot Black Singles	#15
1983	Pieces Of Ice	U.S. Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play	#17

RELEASE INFORMATION:
Label: RCA ‎– PD 13568
Format: Vinyl, 12″, 33 ⅓ RPM
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Rhythm & Blues
Credits: Producer – Gary Katz

NOTES:
From the RCA LP: “ROSS”

Find The 12″ On DISCOGS

RESTORATION NOTES:
All vinyl rips are recorded @ 32bit/float
FLAC (Level Eight)
MP3 (320kbps)
Artwork scanned at 600dpi